How to move house like a professional (football player)

Footy players move a lot; it’s yet another exercise they’re good at. We asked two Australian Rules players for their top moving tips to help minimise stress and disruption during your next relocation.

Professional GWS players, Toby Greene and Jeremy Cameron were relocated by GRACE Removals from Melbourne to Sydney and compiled their top tips to help you move like a pro.

"Moving house is a time-consuming experience, and you want to make sure you get it right so you don’t add any unnecessary pressure to the move," says Cameron.

Image: Toby Greene (left) and Jeremy Cameraon (right) / AAP

Declutter and donate

"Whenever I begin packing to move house, I also find this gives me an opportunity to do a clean-out of junk/unwanted items. That way we’re only packing what we absolutely need to take with us," says Greene.

It’s important to remove the pieces that you no longer have a connection to, those items that simply take up storage space.

To help you with this mission create a ‘stay’ and ‘go’ list and purge items that aren’t needed anymore.

While you’re doing this, take advantage of initiatives geared towards supporting those less fortunate.

GRACE has ‘Move house, make a Difference’ cartons, where they will collect and deliver unwanted items directly to St Vincent de Paul Society so you don’t have to.

Make a list

Moving day can be an incredibly stressful time if you don’t prepare yourself in advance. Grab a pen and paper and make a list of all the supplies that you will need in your tool kit on moving day.

Supplies such as boxes, bubble wrap, sticky tape and a permanent marker can be purchased in advance.

Draft a running sheet and allocate responsibility to different people to ensure tasks are completed on the day.

Greene has another tip: "If things need to be dismantled, I make sure all of the nuts/bolts/cables are put in a separate labelled zip-lock bag so I can at least have some general idea of how it gets put back together!"

Involve the kids

It may sound funny, but it’s important to prepare the children in advance for your relocation by spending time explaining the changes.

Bonding time will help capture memories and provide an opportunity to talk about the next home and all the exciting things to come.

Storage will reduce stress

While it’s a nice idea to move everything all in one big go, the reality is that this is usually unachievable. Moving your life is a big thing.

Move in progressively to minimise the stress. Avoid moving being a rushed process by considering self-storage solutions.

"I always try to ensure that boxes are labelled correctly in the first instance, and that they get dropped off in the right room to allow for easy unpacking," adds Cameron.

Nailed it! Image: AAP

Pets need some adjustment too

Your pet will also need some time to familiarise themselves with their new home.

Before you move, speak to your veterinarian about what’s best for your pet when it comes to both moving and settling into their new home.

Pack an overnight bag

Cameron is a big fan of the overnight bag.

"I look to have a box/bag that has everything I might need in it for the first few days in my new place (toiletries, training clothes, footy boots, etc) and keep this separate from the other packing items for easy access," he explains.

"The last thing you want to think about when you spend a whole day moving boxes is to wonder where your PJs and toothpaste are."

Pack an overnight bag for each member of the family with the essentials. Your first night survival pack should include toilet paper, pyjamas, toiletries and phone chargers (and perhaps coffee for the morning).

Final clean

Allow enough time to clean or book a professional cleaner. A removalist company will be able to remove any packaging materials following the delivery of your household goods.

You can also check if your removal company offers a cleaning service (GRACE offers a valet cleaning service), so you don’t have to source and book a cleaner during this busy time.

There’s professional help if you need it

Did you know it takes an average of two-to-five days to pack up the average four-bedroom family home?

Consider using a professional removalist to pack and transport your household goods so you don’t have to take time off work.